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Pennsylvania Gardening

Bear-Sized Beetle Bug

18 years ago

I was just outside inspecting my roses when I saw a HUGE beetle. His backside looked a bit like a Japanese Beetle but it had to be at least an inch long. I didn't mess with it because I thought it might have claws and teeth and go for my throat. I just wacked it with my cutters and sent it to the grass. Its probably waiting there to ambush a groundhog or something now.

There cannot be too many beetles this size that land on roses. The only description I can provide is that it is about an inch and its backside looks a bit like a Japanese Beetle. Can anyone guess at the name of this bear-sized beetle bug?

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Comments (2)

earline_pa zone 6 Pa.
18 years ago
Sounds like a june bug discription. Cotinis nitida
If you have fruit trees they could be there snacking on your fruit. :((

Here is a link that might be useful: June bug
amy_z6_swpa
18 years ago
Yes probably a June bug (Cotinus), not the often-misnamed smaller reddish-brown May Beetle, but the BIG GREEN June Bug. They are beautiful beetles of the scarab family!! From everything I've read they are not really that harmful to fruit bearing plants, although they do feed on them to some extent. The grubs (larvae) can do some damage to lawns, if I remember correctly. But I don't worry about any of that so I don't know specific details.
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